ACTC alum named LPN of the Year | ACTC

ACTC alum named LPN of the Year

May 17, 2022

ASHLAND, Ky. – An Ashland native and ACTC alumna was recently named Licensed Practical Nurse of the Year by Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 

Megan Maynard graduated from ACTC’s LPN program December 2014 and has worked as a family care nurse since passing her nursing boards in 2015.

Before her career at Vanderbilt, Maynard worked at King’s Daughters Medical Center. 

“My husband needed to move to Nashville for his line of work and that’s when I transitioned to Vanderbilt,” she said. “I’ve been at Vanderbilt since 2019. It’s been such a fulfilling and uplifting place to work. I’ve been supported since day one when I moved to Nashville for the new opportunity.”

She says she is honored to be recognized as LPN of the year. 

“I’ve always just felt that the actions I take are just what anyone else would do,” Maynard said. “It definitely feels great to be recognized and supported by my team.”

A 2011 graduate of Paul Blazer High School, Maynard said she transferred to ACTC after a year of taking classes at Morehead State, because the four-year institution just didn’t feel like the right fit. 

Of the healthcare programs offered at ACTC, she chose the LPN program because it best aligned with her schedule. 

“The women that facilitated teaching the LPN program were the most caring and knowledgeable people. They were involved. They wanted us all to succeed,” Maynard said.

Maynard specifically remembers the impact two instructors had on her experiences.

“I would need a whole notebook to write out how grateful I am for Terri Ratliff, who was leading the program when I graduated. The same would go for Susan Wallace-Vernatter who taught skills,” she said. “I wouldn’t be the person I am today without ACTC’s LPN program, my husband, and family.”

Maynard says that she believes nurses are always needed, even more so now than ever. 

“There’s great job security in healthcare,” she says. “The possibilities are endless with the different careers nursing offers.”

She encourages anyone considering about a career in nursing to look at ACTC as the place to earn their credentials. 

“Anyone that is thinking about going into nursing I would urge to reach out to the program coordinators, former students, or current students,” Maynard says. “ACTC is a great place to seek out a degree. They have an easy admissions process and that includes when you need to transfer in.”

For more information about ACTC’s LPN program, visit https://ashland.kctcs.edu/education-training/program-finder/nursing-lpn.aspx